Lily’s anger could not have been more
palpable
.
She awakened Christmas morning and, along with her brother, ran down to see
the gifts under the t
ree.
In the living room sat a magnificent mini bike. It was red with a pearly white gas
tank and side panels. For
a brief moment, Lily was filled
with
what seemed like
insurmountable
excitement. She couldn’t imagine anything better than getting
that bike.
Then, her eyes caught sight
of a baby doll sitting on the couch with a
huge bow.
She knew. She knew that the mini bike belonged to her brother and that she had
been
relegated
to that doll. It was
par for the course
.
Tommy always got cool things: skatebo
ards, gliders, science kits. The mini bike
was just the latest cool thing.
Lily always got the boring gifts: a doll with a gown, a doll with a tutu, a doll with a
puppy. This doll seemed unusually blah. The doll wore a petticoat. The doll had
short, strai
ght black hair.
Tommy had seen that mini
-
bike in the front window of Moore’s Bike Shop, but
hadn’t Lily too? Both had begged for the bike. Both had said it was the only thing
they wanted for Christmas. Hadn’t Lily asked for it with as much
fervor
as her
t
win brother?
Tommy’s eyes grew wide at the sig
ht of the bike he knew was his
—
no doll
for
him. He ran into his parent
s
’
room and jumped excitedly on the bed.
“T
hank you, Mama! Thank you, Papa!
” he yelled.
Meanwhile Lily
simmered
in the other room. She wa
s furious. She was enraged.
She was
incensed
. It took a while for anyone to even realize she was missing.
“What’s wrong, Lil?” Papa asked. “Did you see your pretty doll?”
“I saw it,” she said sulkily.
“What’s wrong?” asked Mama.
Silence. Lily’s jaw was
fixed. Her hands clenched. Her whole body trembled.
“Oh, Mama, you know Lily is never excited by presents!” her brother laughed.
“Come out and watch me ride!”
And so they did